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Herdsmen Kill 20, Injure 30 In Benue …As Police Nab Badoo Cult Leader In Lagos

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Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom says herdsmen have killed over 20 persons between Monday and Tuesday in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas of the state.
Ortom disclosed this while briefing journalists yesterday in Makurdi after the State Security Meeting.
He said that out of the number, nine were Livestock Guards who were to ensure the full implementation of the Anti-Open Grazing Law.
He said that the law was not targeted at any ethnic group and wondered why the herdsmen had taken it so personal to the point of unleashing terror on the people.
The governor also lamented the unwarranted wanton destruction of lives and property by the herdsmen.
He said that no matter the intimidation and killings by the herdsmen, the law would not be reversed or repealed.
He assured that the law must be implemented to the latter and anybody or group of persons that flouted it would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Ortom called on the Federal Government to wade into the matter so as to avert further destruction of lives and property.
Dr Gajir Tsoho of the Surgical Department, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, said over 30 injured victims of the herdsmen attack were brought to the hospital and were receiving treatment.
Meanwhile,the Lagos State Police Command yesterday made a major breakthrough in the fight against the menace of Badoo cult with the arrest of the group’s herbalist, Fatai Adebayo alias Alese.
The notorious activities of the dreaded cult group prevalent in Ikorodu and Epe axis of the State had sent many of the victims to their early graves with cruel killings through the smashing of mortar and pestle on victims’ heads.
Adebayo, 34, who specializes in administering oath on members of the group before they launch any attack, was arrested at his shrine located in Imosan Village, a suburb of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
The arrest of the herbalist followed the arrest of some Badoo cult suspects at the weekend including the overall head of the group. Speaking while parading Adebayo before newsmen at the shrine, the State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohimi Edgal said the head of the group was arrested on water during an attempt to escape.
The CP, who led the operation involving the Commander of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), ACP Tunji Disu; Chairman of Lagos State Special Task Force, SP Yinka Egbeyemi, among others, said investigation was still ongoing but that the full details about the arrests made so far would be disclosed on Thursday at a press briefing.
He said: “Over the weekend, we had far reaching achievement in the fight against the killers popularly known as Badoo in Ikorodu.
“Their kingpin who is the head of the group has been arrested. He was arrested on water as he was making his escape.”
Revealing how the herbalist was arrested, Edgal said: “One of the suspects arrested confessed and he led us here that before they go for any killing, the head of the group brings them to this gentleman (Adebayo) to come and carry out oath for both themselves and the piece of stone they used for their killings and that they don’t go for any killing without first of all coming for oath in this shrine and that is why we are here.
“This gentleman is an accomplice before the fact and so definitely we are placing him under arrest and as well as sealing off the shrine till after investigation.
“I will give further details on Thursday during my press briefing but I can assure the good people of Ikorodu, Lagosians and Nigerians that we will not rest until this evil is completely rooted out from Lagos State,” Edgal assured.
The CP also made a brief stop-over at the palace of the traditional ruler of Imosan Village, Chief Tajudeen Muili to intimate him of the criminal activities going on under his domain.
At the shrine located at No 38, Ayegbami Quarters in Imosan, which was later demolished by policemen, there were different charms and big stones said to be used for the illicit activities of the Badoo group.

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FG Ends Passport Production At Multiple Centres After 62 Years

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The Nigeria Immigration Service has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this yesterday while inspecting Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja.

He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.

“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.

He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.

“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.

 “We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.

“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.

He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.

Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.

He said the centralised production system aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for better service delivery.

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FAAC Disburses N2.225trn For August, Highest In Nigeria

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The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has disbursed N2.225 trillion as federation revenue for the month of August 2025, the highest ever allocation to the three tiers of government and other statutory recipients.

This marks the second consecutive month that FAAC disbursements have crossed the N2 trillion mark.

The revenue, shared at the August 2025 FAAC meeting in Abuja, was buoyed by increases in oil and gas royalty, value-added tax (VAT), and common external tariff (CET) levies, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.

Out of the N2.225 trillion total distributable revenue, FAAC said N1,478.593 trillion came from statutory revenue, N672.903 billion from VAT, N32.338 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and N41.284 billion from Exchange Difference.

The communiqué revealed that gross federation revenue for the month stood at N3.635 trillion. From this amount, N124.839 billion was deducted as cost of collection, while N1,285.845 trillion was set aside for transfers, interventions, refunds, and savings.

From the statutory revenue of N1.478 trillion, the Federal Government received N684.462 billion, State Governments received N347.168 billion, and Local Government Councils received N267.652 billion. A further N179.311 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) went to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.

From the distributable VAT revenue of N672.903 billion, the Federal Government received N100.935 billion, the states received N336.452 billion, while the local governments got N235.516 billion.

Of the N32.338 billion shared from EMTL, the Federal Government received N4.851 billion, the States received N16.169 billion, and the Local Governments received N11.318 billion.

From the N41.284 billion exchange difference, the Federal Government received N19.799 billion, the states received N10.042 billion, and the local governments received N7.742 billion, while N3.701 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the oil-producing states as derivation.

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KenPoly Governing Council Decries Inadequate Power Supply, Poor Infrastructure On Campus

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The Governing Council of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, has decried the inadequate power supply and poor state of infrastructural facilities and equipment at the institution.

The Council also appealed to the government, including Non-Governmental Organisations, agencies, as well as well-meaning Rivers people to intervene to restore and sustain the laudable gesture, dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the polytechnic.

The Chairman of the newly inaugurated Council, Professor Friday B. Sigalo, made this appeal during a tour of facilities at the  Polytechnic, recently.

Accompanied by members of the team, Prof Sigalo emphasised the position of technology, technical and vocational education in sustainable development.

He noted that with the prospects on ground, and the programmes and activities undertaken in the polytechnic, there is no doubt that the institution would add values to the educational system in our society and foster the desired development, if the existing challenges are jointly tackled.

This was contained in a statement signed by Deputy Registrar, Public Relations, Kenpoly,  Innocent Ogbonda-Nwanwu, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt.

The chairman who restated the intention of his team of technocrats to ensure that KenPoly enjoys desirable face-lift, said the Council would deliver on its core mandates, accordingly.

Earlier, the Rector, KenPoly Engr. Dr. Ledum S. Gwarah, commended the appointment of Professor Friday B. Sigalo as Chairman of the KenPoly Governing Council.

He described him and his team as seasoned technocrats and expressed confidence in their ability to succeed.

The Rector pledged the management’s support to the Council to ensure that KenPoly resumes its rightful place in the comity of polytechnics in the country.

Facilities visited by the Governing Council include KenPoly workshops, laboratories, skills acquisition centre, library, hostels and medical centre.

 

Chinedu Wosu

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